KUCHING – Jason Brooke, the grandson of the last Rajah Muda of Sarawak during the Brooke era, recently spoke about the work he is doing to enrich and preserve the history and heritage of Sarawak during the era of the White Rajahs, and an upcoming film on Sir James Brooke, at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.
Speaking at the “Afternoon tea with Jason Brooke” event, he said that the Brooke Trust which he heads as director to conserve the family’s collection from the era, has been running a digitisation project to make documents from the period available to the people of Sarawak.
The Trust has also been working closely with the Sarawak Museum and the British Museum, not only to exchange knowledge but also to engage the world with Sarawak and its unique history and heritage, he said.
Brooke also talked briefly about the film “The White Rajah”, which tells the story of James Brooke, the first Rajah, saying that it is going ahead now that it has official backing from the Sarawak government and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
He served as a technical advisor for the Hollywood-British co-production film, scheduled to be shot in Sarawak next year.
Brooke added that the Trust has evolved since its inception to include more exciting projects such as the film, and building a working replica of “The Royalist”, the schooner in which James Brooke first sailed into Sarawak in 1841.
He encouraged the younger generation to volunteer in the project and to learn about their heritage.
“Most of our volunteers are young people. Heritage is still relevant. It’s a part of who you are, your identity and your roots, and your sense of stability. Volunteering (for these heritage projects) can be fulfilling and give you a sense of purpose,” he said.
Brooke took questions from those in attendance and from Twitter, and said that his favourite story about James Brooke was of his first meeting with the Bidayuhs, and feeling their warmth and acceptance.
He said his ideas of Sarawak were initially based on history books and the stories he heard as a child from his grandfather. But it was his first trip to Kuching in 2008 and his encounters with Sarawakians, who he said “were always ready to share their stories and memories about the Brookes”, which gave him a new appreciation of his grandfather’s stories.
This made him understand the love his grandfather and father shared for the land and its people.
Brooke was in Kuching recently for the official press conference of the upcoming “The White Rajah” film, and represented the Trust for the launch of the Brooke Gallery at Fort Margherita.
The gallery showcases his family’s collection from the White Rajah era.
“Afternoon tea with Jason Brooke” was exclusive to Swinburne Sarawak students, alumni and staff who packed the room to hear Brooke speak.
They were invited to the event via a social media campaign as an introduction to a new program in social media that the university will offer in 2018.
The event was filmed and clips will be released soon on Swinburne Sarawak’s official Facebook page.